Presidential elections: how to vote by proxy?

Health problem, business trip or vacation… For many reasons, it can be difficult or even impossible to get to the polling station on election day. This does not prevent the voter from voting by proxy. With the first round of the presidential election fast approaching, there is still time to look at this device that will allow you to enjoy your citizenship rights remotely. How do I request a power of attorney? Who do you entrust your vote to? Can a power of attorney be revoked? We explain how you can vote in an election, even if you can’t go to the polling station.

Power of Attorney, what is that?

With this device, a voter who is on the electoral rolls (the principal) can designate another voter (the proxy) to vote in his place on D-Day, at his polling station. This is valid for all elections (presidential, legislative, municipal, departmental, regional etc.) or for referendums.

How do you give your power of attorney?

There are two ways to submit a power of attorney request. The first is done online, by going to the Mapprocuration.gouv website. You must then log in with your France Connect account or, if that fails, create one. In addition to proof of identity and your national voter number (which can be found on your electoral card or on service-public.fr), you will also need your representative’s voter number, his date of birth, their data on civil status and their vote. Township. After completing this preliminary application, you must go to the police station, gendarmerie or consulate (if you are abroad) to have your identity checked and your power of attorney validated.

If you are not comfortable with online procedures, you can go directly to the police station, gendarmerie or consulate (or embassy) to complete a Cerfa Power of Attorney Application form.

If you are unable to travel for health reasons, you must ask the authorities to come to you and prepare the power of attorney at your home. This written request must be motivated by a medical certificate or proof of disability.

The procedure for submitting a proxy application is in any case completely free.

Who can be appointed as a proxy?

You can freely designate the person who will vote for you, as long as he is on the electoral lists in France. Since January 1, 2022, this person can be elected regardless of his municipality of attachment, he no longer has to be registered on the electoral rolls of your municipality. On the other hand, she must always go to the polling station that you depend on to vote in your place.

There are two more exceptions to this “free choice” agent listed on the Service Public site:

  • If you are under guardianship, you cannot designate certain people around you.
  • If you wish to vote by proxy in municipal and/or European elections, you can designate a European citizen to vote in France. But this is not possible for all other elections (presidential, legislative, regional, departmental) and referendums.

In any case, choose someone you trust. The designated person is indeed not “obliged” to respect your choice of vote… If you cannot find a confidential person to receive your proxy, you can always designate a party activist to whom you wish to give a vote.

When can you request a power of attorney?

In theory, you can request a proxy until the day before the election. For the next presidential election, this means you have until April 9, 2022. But be careful, the longer you wait, the greater the risk that your application will not be processed in time for Election Day. So the sooner the better.

How long is a power of attorney valid?

You have the choice: you can make a proxy for a single election or for a specific period. On the application form you state the election (or referendum), its date and whether the proxy relates to the 1st round, the second or both. Please note that it is possible to designate different representatives to represent you at each round. In that case, two separate proxy applications will have to be submitted.

If several elections take place on the same day, the proxy is valid for all elections.

If you want to give a power of attorney for a limited period of time, please note that it is valid for a maximum of:

  • for one year, if you are on a municipal electoral list,
  • 3 years if you are registered on a consular electoral list.

Of course you can register a power of attorney for a shorter period (for example 3 or 6 months).

Can we change or revoke a power of attorney?

After submitting a power of attorney application, it is always possible to change powers of attorney. To do this, go to the website Mapprocuration.gouv or to a police station or gendarmerie.

Finally, you can cancel your power of attorney at any time, again by filling in a form at the police station or the gendarmerie. You can even choose to vote yourself on Election Day…unless your proxy has already done so on your behalf.

There you go, now you know all about proxy voting. So if you’re worried… don’t waste your time! Did you like this article? Discover our article on the voting rules you need to know before you vote.

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